Plane Spotters Unite!

"Pistol Whipped Cream" (heynickhere)
12/04/2017 at 14:02 • Filed to: None

So last week I was in Europe as the lady and I had some vacation days to burn. I was on three flights on three different airplanes. Who can guess what we were on? I’ll redact where we left from and arrived to to make it a little bit harder...

First Up. USA>London Heathrow

sorry about the horrible glare...

LEG 2: LHR>CDG British Airways

somewhere over the English channel.

Last Leg CDG>USA

in disguise

For your participation: Two Door Toyota Prado that I spotted in Paris. I want it.

DISCUSSION (20)

For Sweden > Pistol Whipped Cream
12/04/2017 at 14:15

777
A320
787

Pistol Whipped Cream > For Sweden
12/04/2017 at 14:19

Wow! 12 minutes. You are a champion! Your PWC Contest Winner Leather Jacket will be shipped out today!

777 - 200 Series
A320
787 -900 Series

WilliamsSW > For Sweden
12/04/2017 at 14:23

Damn, beat me to it!

WilliamsSW > Pistol Whipped Cream
12/04/2017 at 14:24

How did you like the ride on the Dreamliner? I’ve flown on them a couple of times (BA and AA) and really liked it.

ttyymmnn > For Sweden
12/04/2017 at 14:36

I’m late to the party. You can always tell the A320 by those wingtip wing fences. And don’t you dare call them winglets!

ttyymmnn > Pistol Whipped Cream
12/04/2017 at 14:37

As long as you’re being pedantic (in a good way), why not go all out ?

Pistol Whipped Cream > ttyymmnn
12/04/2017 at 15:24

The ride on the British Airways A320 was nice. I was cracking up all the way through their safety video too.

Pistol Whipped Cream > WilliamsSW
12/04/2017 at 15:31

I love the Dreamliner! I think I like the 777 a little better (at least the AA version because the 777-300 have first class where there isn’t a 787 with First yet) but it is right up there with it.

I first flew on one back in Nov of 2015 from ORD>NRT and that was a 787-800. Since then American has started to add 787-900s to the fleet and I really like those because they added 2 more Business seats and Premium Economy.

On this trip I was lucky enough to get upgraded to business class for my flight LAX>LHR and was able to get Premium Economy home. That little bit of extra space makes a 10 hour flight much more bearable.

WilliamsSW > Pistol Whipped Cream
12/04/2017 at 15:49

What I like on those short hops on BA is that they still feed you - even on flights that are only an hour long. I miss those days here in the US...

Pistol Whipped Cream > WilliamsSW
12/04/2017 at 16:22

We were in economy. No food on this flight. Luckily we picked up Pret at the airport.

WilliamsSW > Pistol Whipped Cream
12/04/2017 at 16:45

Hmm, disappointing. Maybe they changed it - I used to go to Europe 3-4x/year, usually connecting through LHR, and always seemed to eat breakfast between LHR and LUX/FRA etc, whether I was in business or economy.

Those flights were always enjoyable short hops after the long ride from ORD-LHR - which I usually spent drinking as much coffee as possible while looking out the window.

WilliamsSW > Pistol Whipped Cream
12/04/2017 at 16:49

My first 787 ride (-800) was on BA from YYZ-LHR. I was in business, and loved those big windows with the electronic dimming. I actually went out of my way, connecting from ORD, just to check out the plane and get there a few hours earlier (don’t ask).

Since then, I’ve flown on a few of AA’s, as well - and in fact, will fly on one this Friday. I love the 777, too, but the 787 just feels a little bit more airy, I guess.

I’ve done a few 9-11 hour flights in coach, and that can be pretty miserable. Business, on the other hand, is sweeeeeeeet on those long trips.

Pistol Whipped Cream > WilliamsSW
12/04/2017 at 17:11

I love the big windows/dimmers a lot too. I almost flew to ORD when AA got their first 788 so I could fly the ORD>DFW route. I ended up just waiting a few months until I went to Tokyo. I am very happy 787's are just going to become increasingly more common.

WilliamsSW > Pistol Whipped Cream
12/04/2017 at 18:22

Both the 787 and 777 are pretty nice. Last year, I did a number of transatlantic legs on 767s, as well, which are nowhere near as nice. They’re just getting old.

Pistol Whipped Cream > WilliamsSW
12/05/2017 at 13:18

I dont think I have been on one of those for about 15-20 years.

WilliamsSW > Pistol Whipped Cream
12/05/2017 at 13:24

American was using them the last couple of years on a daily ORD-DUS run during the summer months - not enough density for a bigger aircraft. We have an office in Duesseldorf, so the flight was SUPER convenient - I could walk to the office from the airport. Not sure if they’re still doing it though.

Pistol Whipped Cream > WilliamsSW
12/05/2017 at 14:26

I think they use a lot of older aircraft right out of the major hubs still. They still use the MD80 out of ORD too.

WilliamsSW > Pistol Whipped Cream
12/05/2017 at 14:42

They do, but I’m not sure what routes they’re on - - I rarely see them (I can see ORD arrivals out my window), and haven’t flown on one in years.

They still have a few 757's, too, and inherited a few A330's from USAirways that don’t ever come to O’Hare. Gotta think those will all be gone in a few years, replaced with 737's or 787's.

Pistol Whipped Cream > WilliamsSW
12/05/2017 at 14:58

Yeah I am on 757's a lot. They still use them out here in PHX/LAX a lot and even fly some routes between PHX and PHL. The A330's they have are newer I believe. They typically are based at PHL and CLT though. Don’t think I have ever been on one out west.

WilliamsSW > Pistol Whipped Cream
12/05/2017 at 15:13

Huh - in this back and forth, I can see how some of the legacy US Airways birds are still flying out of legacy US Airways hubs. Guessing those 757's came from US, too - though I thought AA still had some as well.

I travel a lot less than I used to, but unless I’m traveling internationally, I’ve been on nothing but 737-800's and A321's for the last 18 months or so. Probably just related to what routes I fly, which have been limited (and about 80% of my trips have been to LAX).

The A330's just fly from PHL and CLT (maybe a few other east coast airports) to Europe, as far as I know.